The present invention relates to a conference center which seats a plurality of persons, providing a setting for meetings and other similar gatherings.
Many situations occur in the workplace, as well as other settings, in which a group of persons gather to discuss a given topic. The gathering may take the form of a business meeting, brainstorming session, educational class, or group therapy session.
While it is advantageous to meet in person for such purposes, these gatherings frequently are unproductive, and may break down into hostility or, conversely, casual conversation. One explanation for this problem is the visual distraction caused by the different physical appearances, clothing, mannerisms and the like of the participants. Similarly, participants may expend unproductive energy in attempting to analyze the expressions and "body language" of their fellow participants. These problems are often exacerbated by the typical setting for gatherings, in which participants face each other across a conference table, which tends to promote a confrontational atmosphere.
One alternative to face-to-face meetings is the use of "conference calls" to enable a number of persons to converse simultaneously over the telephone. While these calls eliminate some of the distractions inherent in a face-to-face meeting, they are fraught with other office distractions, e.g. intrusion by persons not involved in the call.
Another alternative to face-to-face meetings is electronic meetings, which have recently been introduced into the workplace. These meetings allow all participants to converse simultaneously via telecommunications, through the use of computers. While electronic meetings may eliminate the excessive conversation and visual distractions involved in face-to-face meetings, this approach hinders creativity by requiring the participants to type out all of their thoughts, limiting the free flow of ideas to the typing speed of the individuals. This approach also is subject to distractions similar to those involved with conference calls. This approach also may not be suitable for applications such as group education and therapy in the health care field, which may involve sensitive subject matter and require confidential treatment.
Thus, it is desired to provide in the workplace, and other settings which involve group meetings, an alternative setting for face-to-face meetings which would improve their productivity and usefulness.